Gluten-Free Sticky Date Pudding with Toffee Sauce

Preparation

1. Pudding

   Step 1

   Preheat oven to 350°. Butter an 8x8x2" baking dish. Bring dates and 2 cups water to a gentle simmer in a medium saucepan and cook until the dates break down a bit, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Let cool. (Mixture will have thickened slightly but will not be smooth—that’s okay!)

   Step 2

   Whisk oat flour, almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl to combine.

   Step 3

   Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat 6 Tbsp. butter until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add granulated sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stop mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients and date mixture and beat just until combined. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth surface.

   Step 4

   Bake cake until top is firm and springs back when gently pressed and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50–65 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool while you make the toffee sauce.

2. Sauce and Assembly

   Step 5

   Bring brown sugar, cream, butter, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to melt butter. Cook, stirring, until mixture is thick enough to coat a spoon, 5–8 minutes. Let cool slightly.

   Step 6

   Dust the top of cake with powdered sugar and serve with warm toffee sauce.

   Step 7

   Do Ahead: Cake and sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Store cake tightly covered at room temperature. Cover and chill sauce. Gently reheat before serving.